Sorrow and Hope

Dispatch from Jerusalem

Tsunami Brings Israeli-Palestinian Friendship

March 2, 2005

The tsunami that devastated parts of Southeast Asia brought an Israeli and a Palestinian couple together in the most trying of circumstances—on the roof of a truck, with floodwaters swirling around them.

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Western Wall Hill: OUT. Temple Period Finds: IN.

March 2, 2005

Jerusalem city engineers will take down the hill jutting out from the Western Wall, replacing it with a bridge. Archaeologists expect to find treasures, such as a tall gate from the Second Temple.

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Israel’s New International Airport Opens

February 1, 2005

After years of delay, the new, ultramodern Terminal 3 at Ben-Gurion International Airport has opened. The terminal was built over a seven-year period at a cost in excess of US $900 million. Passengers will enjoy walking onto planes directly from the departure lounge, instead of the former system, which included walking down flights of stairs while carrying hand luggage, a bus ride to the plane, and then climbing stairs into the plane.

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“Do you ever go to bed hungry?”

February 1, 2005

One in Five Israeli Children Go To Bed Without Supper

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Jerusalem Goes Wireless

February 1, 2005

As promised, Jerusalem is now wireless. The new Unwire Jerusalem program, which provides free, wireless Internet access in selected public places, was launched in November 2004 at a ceremony at City Hall.

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Powell-  Palestinian Uprising Should End

{image_1} “It is time to end the uprising. We want a Palestinian state. The [United States] president wants the establishment of a Palestinian state for the Palestinian people, which exists side by side with Israel,” Powell told the Arabic satellite television station Al-Jazeera. His comments were translated into Arabic.

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Israel’s Population Stands at 6.8 Million

December 27, 2004

{image_1} On the eve of Rosh Hashanah this past September, Israel’s population was estimated at 6.8 million, consisting of 5.5 million Jews (81 percent) and 1.3 million Arabs.

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Iran Successfully Tests “Strategic Missile”

{image_1} TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran added a “strategic missile” to its military arsenal after a successful test, and the defense minister said in September that his country was ready to confront any external threat. The report by state-run radio did not say whether the test involved the previously announced new version of the Shahab-3 rocket, capable of reaching Israel and United States forces stationed in the Middle East, or a different missile.

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Ex-Muslims- “The Root of Islamic Terrorism is Islam”

{image_1} “Today, humanity is being challenged. Unthinkable atrocities take place on a daily basis. There is an evil force at work, which aims to destroy us. The agents of this evil respect nothing, not even the lives of children. Every day, there are bombings; every day, innocent people are targeted and murdered. It seems as if we are helpless. But we are not!

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Prayer Rally at the Western Wall

December 27, 2004

{image_1} A prayer rally filled the Western Wall plaza on a Sunday afternoon in mid-September, with thousands of worshipers crying out for divine protection from terrorism and expulsion from parts of Israel. Psalms were sung in a responsive manner, with loudspeakers projecting the sound of King David’s poetry throughout the area.

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